Quality Assurance Requirements

The quality of radiographic procedures is fundamental to the proper diagnosis and treatment of patients. A quality assurance (QA) program is a set of management tools (procedures and controls) organized to optimize the clinical value of radiographic images for timely patient diagnosis while taking radiation exposure and impact to the imaging facility into consideration. An effective QA program helps to ensure that radiation exposure to the patients and operators of X-ray equipment is as low as reasonably achievable while providing efficient, consistent high quality diagnostic results.

The regulations in 25 PA Code 221.11(l) direct that the "Department's guidelines and a list of recognized organizations will be maintained and made available on the Department's website and on request." The list of recognized sources of quality assurance program guidelines and quality control procedures is presented below. Sources that are marked with an asterisk (*) can be downloaded at no cost.

American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM)
Report No. 74 Quality Control in Diagnostic Radiology, July 2002
Report No. 83 Quality Assurance for Computed Tomography Simulators, July 2002. Medical Physics, Volume 30, Issue 10 (2003)

Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc. (CRCPD)

Quality Control Recommendations for Diagnostic Radiology, Radiographic or Fluoroscopic Machines (Vol. 3), Pub 01-6 * (PDF)
Quality Control Recommendations for Diagnostic Radiology, Dental Facilities (Vol. 1), Pub 01-4 * (PDF)
Quality Control Recommendations for Diagnostic Radiology, Podiatric Facilities (Vol. 2), Pub 01-5 * (PDF)

National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP)
NCRP Report No. 99, Quality Assurance for Diagnostic Imaging Equipment 1988
NCRP Report No. 145, Radiation Protection in Dentistry

Gray, J. E., Winkler, N. T., Stears, J., Frank, E. D.
Quality Control in Diagnostic Imaging; Rockville, MD: Aspen Publishers; 1983

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - BRH
Compliance Guidance for Quality Assurance Manual*
Compliance Guidance for Radiographic Quality Control*
Compliance Guidance for Fluoroscopic Quality Control*
Compliance Guidance for Computed Tomography Quality Control*

U.S. Food and Drug Administration
HHS 21CFR1000.55 Recommendation for Quality Assurance Programs in diagnostic Radiology Facilities*
HHS 21CFR900.12 Mammography Quality Standards*

Wilson, Russell L.

Chiropractic radiography and quality assurance handbook; Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press LLC; 2000

American Chiropractic College of Radiology

Guidelines

Minimum Quality Assurance Requirements for Healing Arts Radiography (PDF)